Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. Photo: VNA Spain wishes to deepen the strategic partnership with Vietnam, while Vietnam wants to step up wide-ranging result-oriented cooperation with Spain for mutual development and integration.
The remarks came from the two countries’ deputy-ministerial political consultation held during Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son’s visit to Spain from September 16-18. The consultation was co-chaired by Spanish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ignacio Ybanez Rubio.
Spain said it considers Vietnam as one of the three most important partners in Southeast Asia and value the country’s important role in the region and ASEAN.
Both sides agreed that bilateral cooperation has been expanded in security-defence, justice, transport, education, tourism, economy and investment but needs to be more productive in coming time.
Vietnam and Spain posted 2.92 billion USD in trade revenue in 2014, from 2.4 billion USD in 2013.
The two sides committed to facilitating business connectivity, particularly in infrastructure, energy and environment. Deputy Minister Son said he hopes for an increasing inflow of Spanish investments in Vietnam.
They stated mutual support at multilateral forums such as the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the ASEAN-EU cooperation forum.
Spain vowed to back Vietnam in sealing a free trade agreement with the EU and being recognised as a market economy.
On the East Sea issue, Spain supports Vietnam’s peaceful approach that is in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).
During his three-day Spain visit starting from September 16, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son met with the state secretary of economy and competitiveness and presented a friendship order to former Danish Ambassador in Vietnam John Nielsen, who is now working in Spain.-VNA
